Photo by Arlington Research on Unsplash

 

Employee contentment isn’t always about pay and perks. It also has to do with information technology.

If your company employs poor tools in technology, it means you’ll risk losing employees according to research. Yes, it’s a management headache.

The report, State of Software Happiness Report 2019 from G2, delivers bad news to companies — the link between employee morale and outdated information technology.

Many employees reveal their dissatisfaction with their jobs because of frustration with slow company hardware, mismatched software and other problems that hinder implementation and completion of projects.

Not so sure? In your employee-exit interviews, ask specific questions about your technology.

 

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With ineffective IT, there are other implications for competitiveness: Slow innovation, weak production, and unsatisfactory customer experiences that adversely affect sales and profits.

If your business is behind the curve in technology, here are specific solutions:

1. Evaluate your current IT.

Survey your employees on their attitudes about the tools they use and whether they meet the needs of your workers.

Assess your business needs. That includes looking at your users’ pain points.

Ask your IT professionals to use reporting tools such as service desk call logs examine applications and hardware.

2. Identify the right technology for your needs.

Once you target the right tools. Review and increase your IT budget, if necessary.

 

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3. Partner with your employers in the decision-making.

Introduce all possible tools to your workplace. Empower your workers to help in the selection process.

Keep an open mind. Your employees from various departments might prefer different productivity suites. For instance, salespeople might want PowerPoint and your accounting staff might want Excel.

Not to worry. In this day and age all can coexist. Ignore any low-price offers and single platforms that your employees don’t endorse. Over the long haul, they won’t be worth the headache of low employee morale.

Not only will you improve morale and teamwork, you’ll enjoy higher productivity.

4. Anticipate changes in your workplace.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many changes as countless American workers have been working remotely from home. But even after herd immunity, many won’t be returning to your office.

After employees have enjoyed working at home, many will request to continue the same arrangement. Others will lobby for flexible hours.

 

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Naturally, all of this also means making plans for new technology at your employees’ homes.

5. Stay focused on security but make it convenient for workers to do their jobs.

With ever-increasing ransomware and cyber attacks, the need for strong security has never been greater.

Meantime, take steps to ensure employee contentment. Don’t be too rigid or you’ll risk employees trying to sidetrack security measures.

Besides, a 2020 IBM study indicates it’s possible to over-do security without actually improving security.

So, implement these strategies. Your business will improve competitiveness while keeping your employees happy and ahead of the game in talent management.

From the Coach’s Corner, here are relevant strategies:

Manage Constant Workplace Complainers with these Tips — As a manager, if you’re tired of constant complainers undercutting your authority and hurting morale, you can do something productive to end it. On the other hand, sometimes complaints have validity.

Vital Cybersecurity: Your Remote Staff in COVID-19 Crisis — With more people working at home during the day, Internet usage has exploded. So have cyber threats, according to published reports. Here are important tips.

Tips for Telecommuters to Optimize Home Internet Service — The lifestyles and careers of millions of Americans have, of course, changed as a result of the coronavirus crisis. If you’re a remote worker, and if you have children at home, your home Internet service might need to be optimized. Here are five tips.

Coronavirus Prompts Best Strategies for a Remote Workforce — To achieve the most productivity with employees working from home as a result of the coronavirus, the right tech-contingency strategies will prevent disruption in your company’s operations.

10 Best Tech Strategies for Stronger Financial Results — Businesses that use 10 digital best practices are achieving stronger financial results than those that don’t.

“Employee loyalty begins with employer loyalty. Your employees should know that if they do the job they were hired to do with a reasonable amount of competence and efficiency, you will support them.”

-Harvey Mackay

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.